Blog

Archive for April, 2016

When it comes to love, opposites attract, but in business, the tendency can be to gravitate toward people who are similar. Having others agree with and support you feels energizing, but it can also be limiting.

In fact, partners who are polar opposites can strike the perfect balance for an effective and successful business, says Ruth Palacio, a corporate trainer who specializes in teaching respect in the workplace. “Understanding the value of what each partner possesses, and respecting the differences of one another are two main ingredients necessary for a successful business partnership,” she says. “A third is setting a clear structure outlining each partner’s role and specific function based on their identified strengths.”

At some point during your career, you may feel the need for a little extra motivation, insight, or accountability. For many, the solution is to hire a professional coach who can help you move in the direction you want.

But what if you’re not ready—or willing—to add your cash to that pool? Is it possible to coach yourself?

Yes, says career coach Susan Bernstein, PhD, who is based near San Francisco. While it can be enormously helpful to have a dedicated professional focused on helping you achieve your goals, there are a number of principles you can apply yourself in order to reap the rewards. Here are seven actions you can incorporate.

1. Study The Gap

A good coach helps you take inventory of where you are versus where you want to be, says Bernstein. But chances are that you have a good idea of that yourself.

ven though many large enterprises continue to be run by women, 2015 represented a departure from the growing gender diversification in the C-suite. Just 10 women were among the 359 incoming CEOs at the world’s 2,500 largest companies in 2015. At 2.8 percent, that was the lowest share since 2011, and far below the 5.2 percent peak reached in 2014. Although the numbers of incoming female CEOs have always been low, there had seemed to be a slow trend toward higher numbers over the last several years. Despite this year’s reversal, we remain confident that demographic, educational, and societal forces will continue to promote greater diversity in the C-suite. By 2040, as much as a third of the incoming CEO class around the world will be female.